Which do you think of more important for immigrant families:?

Question

When my mother arrived in North America from Russia, she pressured me (a perfect english speaker) to learn Russian yet she failed to learn English (the main language).

Today, I am still thinking which is more important: for the children (born in the USA with perfect english) to learn their parent's language or for the parents to learn English. Which is more appropriate?

Answer 1

Actually both things are equally as important. For example in your case it is very important for you to know Russian even though you are now living in America. In today's modern world it never hurts to know another language.

In my opinion it is very imprtant for the children born in the USA of immigrant parents to learn their parents language also and in this way the children can become fluent in both languages. They are already fluent in English and now they can learn to become fluent in their parents language.

In this way they know English which is the language of business and and daily interactive life here in the USA and then they can know another language so that if they travevel back to their parents country for a visit then they will be able to communicate in the other language.

As far as your mother is concerned she may have failed to learn English but you will be a more rounded person by learning your mothers' language. In this case that language is Russian.

I studied Spanish since I was in Junior High school and I kept it up during high school and college and I preacticed it all the time by speaking with people who spoke Spanish and watching television in sapnish and listenign to the radio station in Spanish and now many years later I am bi-lingual and I feel I am a more rounded person in life for knowing another language and it came in very handy when I took a vaction in Spain a few years ago.

So in my opinion I think that the children of immigrant parents should make an effort to learn their parents native language because it is always better to know more than one language.

Answer 2

To learn English if you are living in the USA.
My husbands native language is Hungarian. When our son was born, he only learned English since he is an American. I would be nice if he could speak Hungarian too but it is not a common language and of no use for him in the US.
My father also was from Russia.He learned English in public school with all of the other immigrant children from many different countries. They had no choice but to learn English and quickly.My Russian grandmother never learned much English but she also was just a stay-at-home mom of 9.
9 kids who all became English speaking Americans.

Answer 3

Both is important. My children are completely bilingual and translate for other students at their schools.

I think it is important for different reasons: the parent should learn English to survive and be self-sufficient in the USA. Children should learn their parents language to know where they come from. IT is important for children to understand the lives of their forefathers and that from which they come.

Answer 4

You need English to succeed here. But why give up a language you can teach your children?

I had a close friend from Ukraine in high school who spoke English and Ukrainian fluently, whose mother spoke the least English, but some, along with three other languages, and whose father spoke four languages including English.

Knowledge is good.

Answer 5

Learning both languages is very important,there is no doubt about it.You don't know how much it annoys me when I hear the younger generation speaking Spanglish and/or answering their parents in English when asked a question in Spanish.

Answer 6

It's more important to learn the English language first and then learn your parents' language.

That way, you'd be bilingual, which is a plus in the job market.

Answer 7

From what I have experienced, many immigrants families have children who speak both languages while they speak zippo English.

Answer 8

I think English is the priority but it never hurts to speak another language fluently...it can only benefit you later on in life, looks good on any resume

Answer 9

both are good, neither are required. It only benefits u to be bilingual. But no one should tell u that u cant speak ur chosen language.